Daily Readings | Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

September 23, 2026

Conception of St John the Baptist

Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed

Commemorations

The Conception of John the Baptist • Holy Martyr Iraida (Rais) of Alexandria (308) • New Martyr John of Epirus (1814)

Ephesians 3.8-21

⁸ To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory. ¹⁴ For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 4.22-31

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman. ²³ However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. ²⁵ For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.” 4:27 Isaiah 54:1 ²⁸ Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁹ But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”4:30 Genesis 21:10 ³¹ So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.

Luke 4.1-15

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness ² for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3 ⁵ The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I want. ⁷ If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”4:8 Deuteronomy 6:13 ⁹ He led him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ ¹¹ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’”4:11 Psalms 91:11-12 ¹² Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”4:12 Deuteronomy 6:16 ¹³ When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time. ¹⁴ Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Luke 1.5-25

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. ⁸ Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division ⁹ according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’1:17 Malachi 4:6 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.” ¹⁸ Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” ¹⁹ The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” ²¹ The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute. ²³ When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house. ²⁴ After these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵ “Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”

The Conception of John the Baptist

“On this day are celebrated God’s mercy, His wondrous act and His wisdom: His mercy towards the devout and righteous parents of St John, the aged Zacharias and Elisabeth, who had all their lives begged a child of God; the wonder of the conception of John in Elisabeth’s more-than-aged womb; and the wisdom of the dispensation of man’s salvation.” (Prologue) The story of the Baptist’s conception is told in the first chapter of St Luke’s Gospel.

Holy Martyr Iraida (Rais) of Alexandria (308)

She was an Egyptian maiden, variously called Iraida, Rais and Raida. One day, while drawing water from a well near the sea, she saw a ship laden with Christians being taken by their pagan persecutors to torture and death. By God’s grace, Iraida was touched by a desire to suffer for the Lord. She went to the ship, confessed herself to be a Christian, and was immediately taken prisoner with the other servants of Christ. They were all taken to the Egyptian town of Antinopolis, where Iraida was the first of the company to be beheaded.

New Martyr John of Epirus (1814)

He was born to Muslim parents in Konitsa of Albania — the ancient region of Epirus. His father was a prominent ruler among the Muslims and a member of the Sufi order, sometimes called dervishes, a mystical Islamic sect. John himself became a prominent Sufi and settled in Joannina. Though not a Christian, he attended to his conscience and lived a sober and prayerful life.

Over time, he became increasingly attracted to the Christian faith and, in time, asked for holy Baptism. No Christian in his region dared to baptize him, knowing the reprisals that would follow. So John migrated to Ithaka, was baptized, and settled there in a village called Xiromeron, where he married and lived as a simple countryman. In 1813, John’s father somehow learned where he was, and that he had become a Christian. He sent two Sufis to bring him back and restore him to the Muslim faith. Because of this, the Ottoman authorities on Ithaka learned who he was and brought him before a judge. To each of the judge’s questions John would only reply ‘I am a Christian and I am called John.’

Realizing that no amount of persuasion or coercion would move him, the authorities determined to behead him. At his execution, since they would not loose his hands so that he could make the sign of the Cross, John cried out ‘Lord, Remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!’ With these words he submitted himself to a Martyr’s end. The Turks intended to leave his body for the dogs, but pious Christians retrieved it and secretly gave it honorable burial.

Scripture from the World English Bible (Orthodox Edition). Calendar data courtesy of Orthocal.info.